Mageblade: Brother Mage
by marinawings
Summary: Twin brothers and red mages Artem and Vrinn Black, sons of Light Warriors, are training at Coneria Mage's College when they come face to face with an evil threatening Coneria. They are aided by a loyal band of friends and a pair of mystical swords.


Chapter One

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

The lights went out at Coneria Mage's College. Artem Black smiled. Just as he had expected. Quietly, very quietly, and with surprising speed, he moved through the woods toward the tall stone building that housed the male students of the college.

He was almost there when he felt the cool touch of steel against the back of his neck. There was a whispered, "Who goes there?"

"It's me--Artem," he replied.

"Oh." The steel was removed, and there was a hissing sound, that of a blade being sheathed. "It's you, brother. I thought you were one of _them_."

Artem spun around, peering through the darkness to find his brother. "Vrinn, who's with you?"

"Tali and Trinket," Vrinn replied. There was a flash of white in the dark, Vrinn's grin. "You need to put your hood up. We could see your blond hair from a hundred yards."

Artem grimaced. Trust Vrinn to think of something like that. Vrinn had always been the thinker of the two, the bookish one. Artem was wise enough to nearly always take his brother's advice. "Does Trinket have the potion?" he whispered, pulling his black hood up over his short blond hair.

Vrinn, who needed no hood because of his dark brown hair, nodded. "Yes. And Tali has the staff." He turned to the bushes behind him. "Girls, you can come out now."

Two slender, girlish forms emerged from the bushes--Tali the white mage, and Trinket the black. The two girls had always been close friends with the red mage Black brothers, their friendship originating with the bond between their parents and the Blacks', the original Light Warriors.

Trinket, a tiny, black-haired creature, was swallowed up in robes of dark blue. "Here you are, Artem. The fog potion." She handed him the cool earthenware bottle. "One drop on the floor will do." There was mischief in her voice and a twinkle in her gray eyes.

"And the staff is for you, Vrinn," said Tali, a willowy redhead. "I sneaked it from the enemy camp," she added proudly.

Vrinn took the staff with a grin and turned to his brother. "I think this will do it. Don't you, Artem?"

"I think so," his twin agreed.

"What do you want us to do now?" Tali asked the Blacks.

"Tali, I want you to stay behind us as a back up, in case one of us fails," said Vrinn, always the one with the plan. "And to give us warning if anyone tries to sneak up on us. And Trinket, I want you to scout ahead. You've got good eyes. Let us know if they have any sentries posted."

"It's possible that they don't," said the little black mage with a grin. "They think they still have the staff. They weren't expecting Tali to steal it away." She elbowed her best friend, winking at her.

"Let's be cautious anyway," said Vrinn.

Artem grinned wryly. _That_ statement was Vrinn, through and through. "So let's get it done, already," he spoke up. "I'm itching for some action."

"All right. Let's go," said Vrinn, starting toward the forest.

"Wait!" Tali hissed. "Our motto! Let's say it once before we go." She held out her fist. "Fists in, everyone."

They put their right fists together, forming a cross of sorts, then each said their part.

Tali: "For healing strength and strong defense."

Trinket: "For fire and flood and ice and wind."

Vrinn: "For blades and arrows, speed and courage."

Artem: "For victory won by staying together."

And all: "Team Black!"

"This is it," said Artem. "Let's win this together!"

And Team Black slipped into the forest, Trinket scouting ahead, the brothers staying together in the middle, and Tali bringing up the rear.

Vrinn drew his sword. "Artem, let's be ready for a fight," he cautioned his brother.

Artem grinned crookedly. "I'll wait and draw when we get there. You know how I like to make an entrance."

Vrinn nodded. "That I do, dear brother. Have it your way."

They proceeded in silence the rest of the way, following the path that Trinket left for them by summoning ice cubes from the moisture in the ground. It was an excellent idea, one the black mage had come up with herself. The ice would stay long enough for the brothers and Tali to see it, but it would melt before anyone else could follow it.

Finally, Vrinn and Artem caught up with Trinket at the edge of the woods. They crouched beside her behind thick bushes, peering through gaps in the leaves at the little cabin not far ahead. There were no lights on inside, but a large campfire burned a few feet away from the door.

"There they are," said Artem. "Our enemies." He laughed quietly. "Just waiting for us to strike."

"I don't see any sentries," said Trinket. "I believe Team Red is overconfident. They think the staff is protecting them."

"When as a matter of fact, it's protecting us," Vrinn added, holding it up. "I love the irony of it."

Suddenly, Tali came up behind them. "There's someone back there. I'm not sure who it is. I sense that it's a very strong mage, perhaps of wizard strength." Her frown looked eerie in the flicker of the firelight.

"There shouldn't be any wizards on this mission," Vrinn said quietly.

Artem flicked his wrist at his brother. "Don't worry, Vrinn. You know how Trevern is, so practical and all. He probably hired--"

"Hush!" Tali reached out and covered her friend's mouth. "The wizard is close now! Just go! You and Vrinn go! Trinket and I will cover your backs."

"All right. Come one, Vrinn." Artem tugged on his brother's sleeve.

"Wait," said Vrinn. He turned to the girls. "I've got a bad feeling about this. You girls be careful."

"We will," Trinket replied. "Now go before Team Red wakes up."

The Black twins looked at each other, then nodded at the girls and began to sneak quietly toward the cabin, Artem in the lead. They made it to the door with no trouble. Vrinn stood on one side of it and Artem on the other.

"Ready?" asked Vrinn.

Artem nodded, swallowing down nervous excitement.

Vrinn reached and put his hand on the door, unlocking it quietly with a spell he had recently learned.

"One. Two. Three!"

The brother's burst into the cabin. Artem quickly tipped the bottle of potion so that a drop hit the floor, while Vrinn tapped three times on the wooden floor with the staff. The four sleeping forms in the room came to life, jumping up with weapons drawn.

"Ha!" Artem drew his sword with flourish. "Team Black!" he cried, leaping out at one of the enemy mages.

Vrinn, already having his sword drawn, was engaged in combat with another of the mages, still keeping a hand on the staff.

The other two enemy mages jumped at the brothers, but the protective power of the staff held them back.

Vrinn disarmed his opponent and held the tip of his sword to the female mage's throat. "You're dead," he said.

She nodded. "I yield. Good work, Vrinn."

"Thanks, River."

The fog potion was beginning to take affect now. The four enemy mages began seeing fog, while Artem and Vrinn, protected by the power of the staff, had clear vision. Team Red's white mage tried to cast a vision clearing spell, but was thwarted by Artem's counter spell. The battle was over in minutes. All four enemy mages surrendered.

While Vrinn held the prisoners under guard, Artem stepped out of the cabin and called toward the woods, "Tali! Trinket! We got them!"

He was answered by dark silence.

Vrinn glanced over his shoulder at his brother. "Artem, where are they?"

"I don't know." Artem frowned, then called out loudly, "Trinket! Tali! Team Black! Come out! We've won!"

Still there was no reply.

Artem went back into the cabin. "Vrinn, they're not there. I don't like this."

"Nor do I," said Vrinn. "I think it's time we get the Headmaster."

"Right." Artem sheathed his sword. "I'll go get him." He turned to go.

"Wait!" Vrinn called.

Artem turned around.

"Here." Vrinn tossed the staff to his brother. "You might need that."

Artem held up the staff in salute, then left the cabin for the main building of the college.

Vrinn turned back to his prisoners. "Well, the war games are over," he said cheerfully, trying not to let his worry show. "It was an honor playing with you."

"You beat us fair and square," said Trevern Redman, the pragmatic red mage leader of Team Red. He was, not surprisingly, redheaded, and Tali's cousin. "Good game, my friend."

Vrinn sheathed his sword. "It took us awhile to figure out how to do it," he said, motioning for his "prisoners" to relax.

They all sat down on the bunks.

"Where are Trinket and Tali?" asked Velven, the team's black mage, a tall, skinny black-haired fellow.

"Uhm, I don't know," said Vrinn. He sighed. "I won't lie to you. I'm a bit worried. They were back there in the woods, waiting for us to call them out. Tali said she sensed… a wizard following us in the forest."

River, the blond red mage girl whom Vrinn had fought, balanced her sword on her knees, frowning. "This isn't good, Vrinn. There aren't supposed to be any wizards in this game. Just the eight of us."

"Are you sure Tali wasn't imagining things?" asked Eri, Team Red's white mage. She flipped her curly brown hair over her shoulder. "She has a rather large imagination."

"I don't think she was imagining this," Vrinn said quietly. "You know how good she is at sensing things."

Trevern nodded. "You're right. This could be serious."

(LINE)

Artem could not help but be afraid as he trekked toward the main hall of the college by himself. He had the staff, yes, and his sword, of course, but… still. There was something out there that didn't belong, something that might have made Tali and Trinket disappear, might have taken them to who knew where.

The lights were out in the main hall. This late, of course they were. But Artem didn't hesitate to bang on the wood and iron double doors. "Hello in there! It's Artem Black! I need to speak with Headmaster Rivet!" He waited a few moments, then the doors opened, seemingly of their own accord.

Quietly but quickly, Artem stepped inside, his booted feet scuffing the marble floor of the foyer in his haste. He closed his eyes when the foyer's lamp stands suddenly flared to life.

"Young man."

Artem slowly opened his eyes. "Master Rivet, I think something bad may have happened," he explained quickly.

Rivet Philo, a tall, dark man of middling years, stood clothed in white robes, one dark eyebrow cocked. "Is this true, young Artem?"

Artem was young, it was true--twenty-one years of age, to be exact--but he felt like a small child when addressed by Master Rivet Philo. "Yes. It's true. We… Our team finished up the war game. Vrinn and I captured Team Red. The girls--Tali Rain and Trinket Baron--were waiting for us in the woods. I--I called to them and told them to come out, that we'd won, but…" He shook his head. "They didn't answer."

"You have an idea what happened to them." This was no question.

"Yes. Right before Vrinn and I attacked the cabin--Team Red's cabin--Tali said she sensed something." He took a deep breath. "She said she sensed a wizard, following us in the forest."

"A wizard?" Both of Rivet's eyebrows were raised now.

"Yes, sir. A wizard."

"Give me time to get my staff and notify the other masters," said Rivet, his dark eyes intense. "You're going to lead me to the cabin, and to the place in the woods where Tali sensed the wizard."

Artem nodded. "Yes, sir. I think that would be best."


End file.
